08 March 2015

Flashback: Iraq Service of Commemoration, 2009

Buckingham Palace made a rather late announcement to confirm that The Queen would be in attendance this coming Friday for the Service of Commemoration to mark the end of combat operations in Afghanistan at St Paul's Cathedral, when previously it was thought that The Prince of Wales would be leading the royal contingent (the Palace said it was just a matter of confirming The Queen's diary). In the interim, many brought up the fact that The Queen was present back in 2009 for a similar service to mark the end of combat in Iraq, and that's our flashback today.

Most of the time, if you see a photo of Her Majesty wearing a brooch on her right side, you're probably looking at something that's been flipped. This is one of the rare occasions when the photos haven't been flipped, because to accommodate the outfit's decorations, the Cullinan V Brooch was worn on the "wrong" side. Which looks quite strange if you're as accustomed to daily brooch checks as I am, but I have to say, I do like a heart-shaped brooch for an occasion like this.

Anyway, I'm glad she'll be attending Friday's events. A large royal group will be on hand - The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, The Duke of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex and The Duke of Gloucester - so stay tuned.